Wat Pha Lat - The Monk's Trail

Today we got up bright and early to try and beat the heat on a hike up Doi Suthep, a mountain just outside of Chiang Mai. We met up with Gene and Susan who joined us for the first part of the hike, and then we continued off on our own. It is called The Monk’s Trail because, before the road was put in, it was used by the monks on their ascent to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep near the top of the mountain. About half way up, we reach Wat Pha Lat, a former resting place for the monks on their journey to the top. This Wat is built around has several serene pools that are filled and emptied by small waterfalls. Since this is midway on the road to the top, this beautiful place is usually ignored by the tour busses so it remains peaceful and is fun to explore almost completely on our own. Past Wat Pha Lat, we continued on a very steep trek for another hour to finish at our goal, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. After exploring the temple, we rode back to Chiang Mai in the back of a songthaew with several travellers, all of whom were at least half our age. They were all very impressed that the kids had hiked themselves up to the top!
- GeoffWeiterlesen